Elden Ring producer Hidetaka Miyazaki travels to Tencent in Shenzhen.

      As of December 2024, Elden Ring has achieved sales of 28.6 million copies. Credit: FromSoftware

      Recently, several employees from Tencent shared images indicating that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the President of FromSoftware and producer of Elden Ring, visited Tencent’s game studio in Shenzhen yesterday. A report from Reuters last month hinted that Tencent is in the process of developing a mobile version of Elden Ring, an open-world action RPG created by FromSoftware, which is renowned for its challenging combat, intricate lore, and expansive world crafted by Hidetaka Miyazaki in collaboration with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.

      Why it matters: Miyazaki’s visit to Tencent’s Shenzhen offices has garnered considerable attention in the gaming community. This visit is associated with Tencent's recent decision to increase its stake in Kadokawa Corporation, the parent company of FromSoftware.

      Details: On Tuesday, sources online reported seeing Miyazaki at Tencent’s office in Shenzhen. Photos from the visit depict him with a colorful backpack and in a relaxed demeanor, but specifics regarding the visit have yet to be revealed. Tencent has increased its share in Japan's Kadokawa by 1.11%, raising its ownership to 7.97%, as reported by Japanese media outlet Nikkei on Monday. This positions Tencent as the second-largest shareholder in Kadokawa, following Sony, which holds 10%.

      Tencent's larger holding in Kadokawa may facilitate professional assistance for the launch and localization of FromSoftware's upcoming titles in the Chinese market, while also progressing its global strategy across various platforms, including PCs, Xbox, PlayStation, and mobile, according to a game industry analyst speaking to TechNode.

      On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, some gamers have expressed concerns about Tencent's role in adapting Elden Ring, worrying that a mobile adaptation might compromise the original gaming experience. Currently, neither Tencent nor FromSoftware has made any official comments regarding the visit, and no details about potential collaborative titles have been disclosed.

      Context: Hidetaka Miyazaki has been the President of FromSoftware since 2014 and is a celebrated game director known for the Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring. Notably, Sekiro (2019) and Elden Ring (2022) both received Game of the Year awards at The Game Awards (TGA) in their respective years. According to Bandai Namco, the publisher of Elden Ring, it has sold 28.6 million copies by December 2024, making it one of the highest-selling video games ever.

      Jessie Wu is a tech journalist based in Shanghai, covering consumer electronics, semiconductors, and the gaming industry for TechNode. You can connect with her via e-mail at [email protected].